Characteristics of the area and its exploration history

The Issyk Lake area has long been known to both tourists and mountaineers. Several mountaineering groups and expeditions from the Talgar alpine camp and others have operated in the upper reaches of the Issyk gorge. They have conquered many peaks in the area and compiled detailed descriptions, diagrams, and more. However, the focus was primarily on the upper reaches of the Issyk gorge itself and its left (orographic) tributaries. There was a lack of information on ascents to the peaks of the right tributaries. Even on the most detailed map of the Trans-Ili Alatau available to us, the high peaks to the right of Issyk Lake were not marked. Meanwhile, the high peaks of the right tributaries are clearly visible from the village of Turgen and the Issyk railway station. From there, the significant glaciation of the area is also observable. The high peaks of the Pryamoye gorge, which flows into the Issyk River below the lake, are particularly noteworthy. In 1953, S. Kuderin and N. Shershnev attempted to approach these peaks via the Karabastau gorge, which flows into the Issyk River above the lake. The chosen path proved unsuccessful as it led to the steep and dangerous northern wall of the main peak in the area. Two months later, in May 1953, S. Kuderin and F. Lyubimov approached the glacier cirque via the Pryamoye gorge. The path turned out to be somewhat long and inconvenient for a large group. During this attempt, the group descended to the lake via the ridge separating the Issyk gorge from the Pryamoye gorge. It was found that this was the most convenient and shortest path to the glacier. On May 1, 1955, S. Kuderin and F. Khabibullin followed this path to the glacier cirque. From there, they made an ascent to a nameless peak with an elevation of 3800 m (№ 9) via a relatively straightforward route. There was no tour or note on the summit.

Kairaktas (4020 m)

Ascent via the Eastern Ridge — cat. diff. 2A

The Kairaktas peak is located somewhat north of the Ozerny pass. The approach starts from the bivouac on the pass and continues along the moraine heaps made up of medium-sized fragments. The path leads to the eastern ridge of the peak and takes about an hour. The ascent goes along the heavily destroyed ridge with steep drops and a large depth of fall. The first and second gendarmes are bypassed, the third and fourth, with heights of 8–10 m, are overcome head-on. After the section with gendarmes, the route runs along the eastern ridge to the south-eastern ridge, which are connected by a small dip. Reaching the south-eastern ridge, one must successively bypass four gendarmes of slab-like structure, having the form of needles, on the right and left. The movement continues along heavily destroyed rocks and in places along snow. This section is recommended to be traversed in rope teams with alternate belays. After approximately 2 hours, there is an exit to the summit, which is crowned with a pico-shaped stone. This prompted the first ascenders to name the peak Kairaktas, which translates as — a peak with a protruding stone. To reach it, one needs to hack through a snow cornice. Descent is via the ascent route. The first group to reach the summit was on October 15, 1954, a group of instructors from the "Kok Bastau" alpine camp consisting of: A. Vorobyov, P. Mamyinov, R. Khonin under the guidance of A. Kolegov.

Recommendations for Climbers

1. Number of participants: 4–6 people.

Fig. 45a

Otechestvennoy voyny 18 c.t. from l. 3 Ordzhonikidze along the S ridge

Route description.

Initial bivouac on the right lateral moraine of Tuyksu glacier. From here, move in the direction of the northwest lateral ridge of Ordzhonikidze peak. Before reaching it, turn left. Ascend a steep scree to the terminal part of Zapadny Ordzhonikidze glacier, then traverse it to a drop, bypass it on the right, and continue ascending the scree to the last ridge of rocks descending from Mayakovsky peak. From here, begin ascending the western ridge. Traverse easy, broken rocks or, further to the right, a couloir filled with small and medium scree. Upon reaching the ridge, continue moving towards the col between Mayakovsky and Otechestvennoy voyny peaks (50–60 m). Further:

• Scree, followed by broken rocks, will lead to the beginning of the southern ridge of "Otechestvennoy voyny" peak.
• Small gendarmes on the ridge should be bypassed on the left. To rejoin the ridge, overcome a couloir ending in a steep rocky section (pitons, 2–3 hooks). After overcoming several gendarmes directly, reach the summit. Descent is via the ascent route. The ascent takes 6–7 hours.

Recommendations:

Fur­ther mo­ve­ment along a small cou­loir and rocks with an exit to the counter­force. After two hun­dred me­ters, there is an exit to the Main summit of Tal­gar. The des­cent from the summit to the south-east along a snowy ridge to a wide cou­loir, along which the route is com­pleted:

• des­cent to the Kor­zhenevs­ko­go gla­cier
• fur­ther through the Su­rovy saddle to the area of the al­pi­nist camp «Tal­gar» If there is a crust on the gla­cier, the whole des­cent takes up to nine hours.

Rec­om­men­da­ti­ons for clim­bers

1. Num­ber of par­ti­ci­pants - no more than 4 peo­ple.
2. Ini­tial bi­vouac on the mo­raine of the South Tal­gar gla­cier.

2. Frame of ascent, ridge — 0–3 Tien Shan — Pamir Talassky Ridge
3. Summit, its height, ascent route — Piramida (Terek) 3910, eastern edge
4. Estimated category of difficulty — 2B
5. Characteristic of the route: height difference, length of section 1–5 category of difficulty, average steepness in degrees — height difference 800 m, average steepness — 40°
6. Driven pitons for insurance to create intermediate support points: rock — ice — bolt —
7. Number of walking hours — 7 hours
8. Number of overnight stays, and their characteristics — none

Fig. 25

1. Ascent to Sofrudju peak (3785 m) — cat. d. 1B (fig. 25)

From Dombayskaya polyana cross the bridge over the Alibek river and follow the trail to the stream descending from the large Belalakay couloir. Cross the stream to the snowfield and ascend it for 300–350 m. Then turn left into the Sofrudju couloir (danger of rockfall!) and ascend it to a large overhanging rock. Continue straight up the steep section to the trail and follow it to Medvezhya (Med­ve­zh­'ya) polyana. From Medvezhya polyana ascend 300–350 m up the eastern slope of Belalakay through the snow — exit to the Sofrudju bivouac. From Dombayskaya polyana — 5–6 hours.

Fig. 26

2. Tra­verse of Sofru­dzhu peak from the north-east — category 2B (fig. 26)

From Domba­y­skaya Poly­ana across the bridge over the Ali­bek river and along the trail to the crossing over the Ama­nauz river. Crossing to the right bank, then along the mo­rena and over the "baa­ran­y lby" to the Ama­nauz­sky gla­cier, and along it to the ter­mi­nal mo­rena under the Zapad­no-Ama­nauz­sky gla­cier. Camping site. From Domba­y­skaya Poly­ana — 3–4 hours. Further (in con­nec­tion!) as­cend to the Ama­nauz pass be­tween the peaks Glav­ny Ama­nauz and Sofru­dzhu. As­cend along the right side of the heav­ily cre­vassed gla­cier, then, in the up­per part, un­der the slopes of Sofru­dzhu Zub exit to the mid­dle of the gla­cier, as snow ava­lanch­es are pos­si­ble from the slopes of Sofru­dzhu Zub. Along the mid­dle of the gla­cier up to the bergschrund, cross the bergschrund over a snow bridge and up the steep snow slope (50°) to the pass. Exit to the pass to the left of the rocky out­crop at the pass point.

Krugozor Mordy Peak — 3476 m

Ascent via the northern ridge — 2A (Description as you move towards the summit) From the "Uzunkol" camp:

• along the left bank of the Uzunkol River
• cross to the right bank and down it for 350 m to a wide grassy couloir (visible from the camp)
• up the couloir, to the right of the stream, to the confluence with the left wide couloir
• exit into the Kr. Mordy peak cirque On the green terraces — a bivouac. From the camp — 2 hours.

Report

on the passage of Krugozor-Myrdy, 2A cat. sl. of the Popov V.I. team